The bladder serves two functions: for storage of urine and evacuation of urine. If a bladder cannot function as a reservoir to retain urine, the problem is known as incontinence. Conversely, if a bladder is unable to evacuate urine, the problem is called urinary retention.
One solution is to use somewhat ineffective and expensive drugs and medications. Another solution is an indwelling Foley catheter which is uncomfortable and can lead to urinary tract infections. The Foley catheter has an expansible ring-like balloon at the distal end. The catheter would be inserted into the bladder through the urethra, and then the balloon would be expanded sufficiently to prevent withdrawal without first deflating the balloon. With this catheter, urine could continuously drain from the bladder through openings in the distal end of the catheter and subsequently through a drain tube.
While such catheters are successful in draining urine, they present a number of problems. Great care must be taken when moving the person using these catheters to prevent accidental pulling and partial withdrawal of the catheter or over-inserting it, which severely limits the mobility of the user. Care and skill are also required in inserting and removing the catheter to assure that the proper length is inserted, the balloon is expanded to the proper extent, and the balloon is fully deflated prior to removal.
Yet another solution to some urinary problems is self intermittent catheterization (SIC), where the female patient catheterizes herself several times a day. It is safe, simple, and has the lowest risk of infection. Unfortunately, because of the anatomical location of the opening of the female urethra it is difficult to perform SIC. This is especially true in the obese patients or the physically handicapped. On the whole, intermittent self-catheterization is difficult if not impossible, because the process generally requires the patient to have fine motor skills and good vision to locate the urethra.
The U.S. Pat. No. 5,045,078, granted to Linda R. Asta, discloses an apparatus to assist in guiding a catheter into the urinary meatus. Asta's apparatus is comprised of a vaginal insert and a handle and has at least one guide or alignment hole on its handle. The guide hole of the handle is alignable with the urinary meatus when the insert portion is in the vagina. To effectively use Asta's apparatus, the user needs to completely insert the vaginal insert in her vagina and hope for the guide hole to be aligned with her urethra. However, if its guide hole does not align with her urinary meatus, there is no provision for maneuvering the catheter into the urinary meatus. Asta suggests having multiple alignment holes or a single movable alignment hole on her apparatus' handle, but these embodiments have the same shortcomings as Asta's embodiment with a single hole.
Additionally, while Asta suggests the possibility of using a Foley-type catheter with her device, it is not possible to pass the tip of any Foley catheter through her guide holes as they are disclosed and illustrated in her patent. And, if her guide holes are so large that a Foley catheter can pass through them, then such holes cannot be used for guiding a catheter into the user's urethra.
In general, for the reasons mentioned and more, the existing solutions to urinary abnormalities are not very satisfactory.